“Jalen can control a play with his speed,” Warsofsky said. “He controls the play and he can back defenders off because of his skating ability. He’s very smart with the puck and, for a guy his size, he goes to those hard areas and competes.”
A lot of NHL draft picks, guys who have played more than 100 games in the AHL, tend to pout when they are sent down to the ECHL.
South Carolina Stingrays forward Jalen Luypen is third in the the league in scoring with 25 points. Stingrays/Richard Strickland
Luypen has embraced his role as a top six forward with the Stingrays.
“Down here, I can play a little freer than I did in the American League,” Luypen said. “I can hang onto the puck a little longer, take an extra chance and try and make something happen. I’m playing with a lot more confidence here and I’m not scared about being taken out of the lineup.
“I wanted to come down here and earn my ice time and opportunities and bring a little bit of that swagger back into my game.”
Warsofsky understands the mentality of a player like Luypen. He has spent the majority of his young professional career one step away from his dream of playing in the NHL and now has to climb his way back to the AHL.
“It’s human nature for Jalen to be upset about being sent down and that’s OK,” Warsofsky said. “There’s an adjustment period where they have to find their game down here. But Jalen came here with the mentality that he’s going to earn his stripes and work his way back to the AHL and, hopefully, the NHL.
“His attitude has been great since the day he got here. He’s been positive. He’s one of our leaders in the locker room, and he wants to be a part of this team and get better. He’s been a coach’s dream.”
Warsofsky, who played in more than 500 games in the AHL, thinks Luypen will eventually get his opportunity at the next level.
“His size is an issue for some teams, but he has the speed to play up there,” Warsofsky said. “He just needs to find the right opportunity with the right environment and with the right organization. He’s showing he can have a big role on a team. I think that opportunity will come for Jalen.”